If living in North Texas has taught us anything, it’s that there’s never a shortage of things to eat, drink and do — sometimes all in the same afternoon.
As 2025 wraps up, we couldn’t resist playing favorites. Picking the best wasn’t easy (like choosing a favorite child, if your kids were pasta, cocktails and live music). We’re sure we missed a hidden gem or two — so go ahead, tell us what we overlooked.
Until then, here’s Local Profile’s roundup of the tastiest, trendiest and most unforgettable highlights of the year.
Best Deviled Eggs
Deviled Egg Co.
111 W. Virginia St., McKinney
Photo: Shoko Ashcraft | Local Profile
At Deviled Egg Co., eggs aren’t just food; they’re a full-on obsession. The team whisks, flips and devils them into bold creations your grandma never could’ve imagined (no offense, grandma). One bite proves it: this is egg-streme dining. In May 2025, the company took its passion to Shark Tank, where Mark Cuban and Barbara Corcoran teamed up to invest $250,000 for a 20 percent stake.
Best Hand-Pulled Noodles
DH Noodles & Grill
2001 Coit Road, Suite 165, Plano
See a table piled high with noodles, lamb ribs and cucumbers? You’ve found DH Noodles and Grill, Plano’s first Dunhuang food spot and Texas’ intro to hand-pulled halal noodles and bold Hui flavors. The restaurant is rooted in the cuisine of the Hui people and the Silk Road town of Dunhuang, where Middle Eastern and Chinese cultures blended through centuries of trade and migration. The result? Deliciouness.
Best Bakery
Ogi’s European Bakery and Deli
1651 Eldorado Parkway, Suite 108, McKinney
Photo: Mia Valdez
Hidden in a quiet McKinney shopping center, Ogi’s European Bakery and Deli greets guests with the comforting aroma of fresh-baked goods and the charm of the Old World. Owner and chef Hafsa Mirza welcomes customers by name and with a smile, while the bakery showcases an array of European pastries, breads, cakes, sandwiches and sausages — all prepared with traditional methods and careful attention to detail.
Best Comfort Food
Depot Cafe
6733 Main St., Frisco
Stroll down Frisco’s Main Street, and you’ll find the city’s oldest family-owned gem: the Depot Cafe. Since 1999, it’s been dishing up comfort food like meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy, cheesy chicken spaghetti and, of course, beloved breakfast classics — all straight from family recipes.
Best Japanese Sando
Yokozuna Bento·Sando
2711 W. 15th St., Plano
Photo: Shoko Ashcraft | Local Profile
First, let’s clear something up: there’s the sandwich, and then there’s the sando. Two slices of bread, something in between — but totally different vibes. North of President George Bush Turnpike, Yokozuna Bento·Sando is the spot to try one. You can’t go wrong with the katsu sando. Ditto for the fruit sando.
Best Places to Buy a Plant While Sipping a Latte
Habitat Plants + Coffee
214 N. Kentucky St., Suite A, McKinney
Habitat Plants + Coffee is a green hideaway where your latte is as photogenic as the ferns. Sip a matcha, chai or espresso, get lost in the greenery, snap a pic next to the moss wall and maybe even leave with a new leafy friend.
Best Bagel
Starship Bagel
1108 W. Main St., Lewisville
Photo: Starship Bagel
Starship Bagel blasted off from Oren Salomon’s home kitchen and has since launched North Texas shops and a national following. Since 2021, it’s racked up trophies like “Best Bagel Outside NYC” and “Schmear of the Year” and snagged James Beard recognition.
Best Place to See Famous People
The Star
1 Cowboys Way, Frisco
Athletes, country singers, reality stars — you never know who you’ll bump into at The Star in Frisco. It’s basically North Texas’ version of Hollywood Boulevard, only with fewer paparazzi and way better queso. From luxury shops to buzzy restaurants, The Star has become a go-to hangout for celebs and us regular folk alike. The patio at Dee’s Table is especially good for people-watching.
Best Adorable Food
Harumama Noodles & Buns
1060 W. Frankford Road, Suite 200, Carrollton
Photo: Brian Ashcraft | Local Profile
Harumama is serving up Asian comfort food with a playful twist. The family-owned restaurant is the brand’s first Texas location, best known for its steamed character buns that are almost too cute to bite into (almost).
Best Coffee Shop
White Box Roastery
610 Elm St., Suite 1340, McKinney
At White Box Roastery, coffee is a way of life. Eight years ago, the team of globe-trotting coffee fanatics tasted the best brews from Italy to Romania and fell in love. They knew they had to bring that passion home, and White Box Roastery was born.
Best Japanese Cheesecake
Mr Puffy
17390 Preston Road, Suite 243, Dallas
Unlike the dense and richer New York-style cheesecake, Japanese-style cheesecake is airy and absolutely irresistible. Fluffy, puffy and delicious.
Best Cinnamon Roll
The Wick
107 S. Colorado St., Celina
Photo: Brian Ashcraft | Local Profile
A bad airport cinnamon roll sparked one of Celina’s best cafes. During COVID-19, Cleve Wickliffe and Kim Wickliffe turned a home baking project into The Wick, now a cozy breakfast-and-lunch spot in a restored 1940s house. Think scratch-made comfort food, cinnamon rolls done right and a big dose of small-town charm.
Best Place to Watch Baseball From a Pool
Riders Field
7300 Rough Riders Trail, Frisco
Picture this: A 400-foot-long lazy river, a cold drink in hand and front-row views of a live baseball game. It’s not a dream; it’s the Lazy River at Riders Field, home of the Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers.
Best Gelato
Bazaria
700 W. Spring Creek Parkway, Suite 102, Plano
Photo: Aric Becker
Mohammad Al-Qawasmi of Bazaria is scooping up international recognition: He placed third at the 2025 Gelato Festival World Masters, which earned him a ticket to the North American semifinals. There, he finished strong in second place with the ridiculously good fig krokan gelato.
Best Toilet Seat Collection
Truck Yard
5959 Grove Lane, The Colony
For a throne room like no other, check out Barney Smith’s Toilet Seat Art Museum at Truck Yard in The Colony. With over 1,400 wildly decorated lids, this free attraction is weird, wonderful and guaranteed to leave you sitting in awe.
Best Place to Eat, Drink and Listen to Live Music
Love & War in Texas
601 E. Plano Parkway, Plano
Photo: Love & War in Texas
Weekends bring national acts to Love and War, but weekdays showcase rising stars perfecting their craft before they make it big. Legends like Cross Canadian Ragweed, Randy Rogers, Eli Young and even Miranda Lambert all played here long before the Grammys.
Best Texas-Shaped Landmark
The Texas Pool
901 Springbrook Drive, Plano
No one loves Texas (and Texas-shaped things) like Texans. The Texas Pool is Plano’s most iconic swim spot — famous, fabulous and, yes, shaped like Texas itself. This 168,000-gallon saltwater pool comes with slides, a diving board, a “North Texas” island and a kid-friendly “South Texas” wading zone.
This article originally appeared in Local Profile magazine. Read more here.
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